The Ride
by HydeLuver
Summary: Beck and Tori's friendship changes as they are about to head off to college. Two-Shot.
1. Chapter 1

Beck sits back on the familiar red couch nursing a black plastic cup filled with beer. Next to him sat two girls he's seen once of twice before. One of them has short dark hair and several piercings on her face. Sitting nonchalantly on the couch, she continuously nods her head as her red-head counterpart expresses her excitement, and nerves, about going on to college.

"Can you believe we just finished graduating? Where did the time even go?" she says. Beck slowly nods his head in agreement, even though she isn't speaking to him.

Where did the time go indeed? He can remember clearly stepping into the hallways of Hollywood Arts for the first time. He remembers walking to his first class, nervous inside but trying desperately to appear cool. His first day is fresh in his mind, even though four years have passed.

Just a few hours ago, he and his friends took the fated walk down the Asphalt Cafe as their names were called. With each step, they put high school behind them and got ready to turn the page and start a new phase in their lives. As he watched his fellow classmates step up to the podium and grab their diplomas, he became anxious. Everything he's grown to know is coming to an end, and in just a few months he will be traveling across the country, surrounded by a sea of unfamiliar faces.

The redhead next to him suddenly stands up and lifts her cup up high. "This is for us," she starts, her voice audible over the loud music and chatter, "for making it this far. And it's just the beginning" she finishes and brings the cup down to her lips. Numerous others cheer her toast and bring up their cups only to take a large gulp afterward.

Still in his seat, Beck raises his own cup slightly and nods his head. This really is just the beginning. At just eighteen years old, Beck can say he's experienced his fair share. He's met people in the industry that are willing to give him an opportunity to act, he's established amazing friendships and even learned what it means to be in love.

Even though his relationship with Jade didn't last as long as he would have liked, he cherishes the moments they had together. He got the opportunity to see Jade in a light that many people never did. Instead of the intimidating girl who no one dared approach, she let him see her as the vulnerable girl who fears letting people in and creates a barrier to avoid pain and rejection. While he tried to show her that she could in fact trust people, she went out of her way to put him as far as he could go, in every aspect of his life, just so he could reach his full potential. She had never been afraid to challenge him and as frustrating as it was then, he knows she is to thank for the person he is now. Because of her he isn't afraid to put himself out there and take risks.

Now, as he quietly absorbs the atmosphere, he can only smirk when he sees his ex-girlfriend on the other side of the room holding hands with her new boyfriend Adam. The once goth princess dons a light purple dress. Her hair is light as is her makeup and even from a distance, he senses an airiness in her that had never been there.

"Okay, okay people" he hears a voice from a distance and the music is turned down a bit. He turns to look back towards the staircase. He smiles when he sees Tori descending the stairs in her royal blue graduation gown and twirling the orange tassel with her right index finger. She stops halfway down the staircase and someone rushes over to hand her a beer can.

"I want to start by saying that I am grateful you were able to take the time to make it here tonight. It means so much to me that I can spend this day with the people who made my time in HA so amazing. I came into this school two years ago and you all immediately welcomed me and ever since you have become like my family. Even though we're all going off to do different things, we'll always be able to look back at our time together and smile. So instead of being sad that it's come to an end...let's have some fun" she cheers enthusiastically and everyone explodes in cheers and applause. The music is back on full blast and everyone's gone back to dancing and mingling.

"This is my song" the redheaded girl next to him says much to loudly and shoots off her seat as Chris Brown's "_look at me now"_comes from the speakers. Her dark-haired friend is left, shaking her head from side to side and Beck looks over to the spunky girl making her way to the dance area. She is surrounded by others just as excited and after a few minutes, they all turn to each other and try to keep up with Busta Rhyme's fast verse.

A few minutes later, Beck decides to go around the room and interact with his former classmates. Since this will probably be the last time he will see most of them, he might as well make the effort to be social.

As the hours pass and it nears midnight, the party dwindles. A few people have to be carried out after having too much to drink, their designated drivers not very happy to have to leave so early. Beck bid farewell and good luck to some of them. Among those early to leave are Jade, Adam and Robbie.

Standing over by the kitchen table, Beck watches as his ex-girlfriend walks towards a few people to say good-bye and, without walking over to him, grabs hold of Adam's hand and exits the Vega house. Even though they haven't spoken in several months, it still stings to not have a cordial relationship with her. After years together, they should at least be able to exchange pleasantries.

Beck walks over to a crate near the refrigerator and gets a beer can. This time he doesn't bother pouring it into the plastic cup. He pops open the tab and lets the frothy liquid fill the top before taking a sip. He looks back to see that just about twenty people remain, including Tori, André and Cat. He smiles and walks over to where André and Tori are talking.

"Hey guys" he says and they quickly turn to acknowledge him.

"Well, well if it isn't Mr. Julliard himself, where have you been?" Tori exclaims as she pulls him in for a hug.

"Oh you know, here and there" he says as he wraps his arms around her small waist. He looks over her shoulder and nods towards André.

"Hey Beck" André greets his friend.

Unwrapping his arms from Tori, Beck extends his fist and bumps it against Andre's.

"Are you having fun?" Tori asks him.

"Yeah, it's a great party" he replies.

Tori nods her head, thankful that her friend is having a good time. She quickly scans the room to make sure things are going well and before she can turn back to continue the conversation, she spots Cat just a few feet away, her hand much too close to a guy's face. "Guys" Tori exclaims and points towards Cat's direction. Beck and André turn to see where she is pointing.

They stay still for a few seconds and watch as Cat shakes her head violently from side to side. She is wagging her right hand back and forth, each time getting closer to touching the guy's face. Her left hand is resting on her hip and her right knee is slightly bent.

"That doesn't look good" André says and without having to wait for confirmation, he starts walking towards Cat.

"Should we go over there?" Tori asks Beck as her concern grows for her friend.

"No, André can handle it. She's probably just had too much to drink" Beck replies, never taking his eyes off his smaller friends a short distance away.

"I guess" Tori responds uncertain.

Noticing her apprehension, Beck asks her questions about her decision to go to NYU.

Tori perks up a bit. "I can't believe I even got it. I'm so excited. Getting to live in New York is amazing."

"I know, I'm excited to get out of California for a bit, just try a different scene" Beck answers.

"We're going to be really close too. We can hang out all the time and do whatever it is college people do" she says

"Like drink coffee and get incredibly wastes at a frat party" he replies which makes her laugh and shake her head.

"Nothing too crazy though, we have to be serious actors" Tori says and nudges Beck with her elbow.

"Whatever that means" he answers. He takes a second to glance over to Cat and he can see that André has gotten her away from the guy and over to the kitchen. "See? Told you André could handle it" he tells Tori.

She turns her head over to see her two friends sitting by the table. André places a glass of water in front of Cat who is still waving her hands around, but not as erratically as before. "I guess you were right" she tells Beck as she turns to look back at him.

The twosome talk for a few minutes and as they take a seat on the stairs, they start reminiscing about the past two years and all the crazy moments their small group had.

"I can't believe so much happened in such a short amount of time. We made it through Sikowitz class, got arrested in Yerba, you got to act in some really cool movies and plays and I opened the Platinum Music Awards. How crazy is that?" Tori tells Beck.

"Very crazy. I hadn't realized we had done so much."

"We have and I can't wait to see what else we will do" she says excitedly.

Beck takes a deep breath and drops his shoulders a bit. Here he is, nervous about making the move to New York and yet Tori is so optimistic about it.

"How do you know...how can you be so sure that things will be okay in New York?" he asks her.

Tori smiles and drapes her arm over his shoulders. "I'm not. I can only hope that it will be a good change for us."

"And it if isn't?" Beck asks, turning to look at her.

"If it isn't then you can always change your mind. But you should at least try it" she responds, her smile never faltering. Beck nods his head and as he starts thinking about her words, Tori lowers her head and rests it on his shoulder. He brings his hand up and wraps it around her waist. For a few minutes, the two of them sit silently, observing the remaining party guests talking and drinking the last few beers.

"Thanks Tor" Beck whispers.

Tori simply nods her head against his shoulder and smiles as a small circle forms and people start dancing to Beyonce's "_single ladies."_ A few guys join in and move their hands backwards and forward in perfect sync with the song.

She lifts her head off Beck shoulders and as her smile broadens, he reaches over and turns her face towards him. Before she can react, he closes the small gap between them and crushes her lips with his.

**Author's Note: I got the idea to write this story as I was re-reading a previous one I wrote. It'll be a short Bori two-shot which hopefully you will enjoy. **


	2. Chapter 2

**New York City, December **

The falling snow is quickly sticking to the ground, adding to the three or so inches already there. Pedestrians cautiously drag their snow books trying to keep their balance. Unfortunately, the narrowness of the sidewalks combined with the mass of people trying to get by makes it difficult to get from one point to the other.

Beck waits impatiently by the cross walk for the traffic light to turn red. He's already fifteen minutes late to class, again, and can't afford to miss anymore of the lecture. Surely his professor will notice his lateness and have yet another conversation with him about his lack of responsibility. Beck will have to nod his head in agreement as the older man berates him and questions whether it was a mistake to have Beck in the program.

Once he has the right of way, he walks as briskly as possible through the snow and dodges people, and apologizes to those he doesn't miss. Two blocks away, he tells himself. Two very long New York blocks. Beck grunts and stuffs his hands in his long black coat. If he were back home, he would have been able to drive to school and make it on time. Public transportation is something he is still adjusting to, and frankly he's not sure he'll ever get used to it. Besides being unreliable, it's also sure to have some of the strangest people he's ever seen.

Some five minutes later, Beck rushes towards the long building and through the large ceiling to floor glass doors. Dread fills him when he sees the hallways are empty with the exception of the security guard and the janitor. He glances down at his watch. Twenty-two minutes late. He picks up the pace and after a few seconds, he is front of the heavy wooden doors that lead to the small studio theater. He pulls the handles gently and tries to walk down the aisle quietly, in hopes of going unnoticed.

A few of his classmates stand on the large stage, acting out a dramatic scene written by the professor. It was assigned a few days ago and everyone was told to memorize the lines. After several failed attempts, Beck managed to memorize about half of it.

He finds a seat in the fifth row and watched his fellow actors.

"It is indeed a travesty, one that could not have been avoided" a boy, Carlos, recites from memory. His hands moving in fluid motions, adding drama to his delivery. "The poor lad sought her out and he paid the ultimate prize. Unfortunate, indeed."

"His poor mother," another girl says, picking up where Carlos left off. "Such a sweet woman she is, how merciless life is am I right?"

From the corner of his eye, Beck sees someone moving. The professor, who has been sitting in the front row, stands from his seat. "More emphasis Genesis, more emotion" he demands. His deep voice booms and carries throughout the room. Beck takes his attention away from the stage and watches the older man. Everything about him is intriguing. His head-to-toe black outfit, his balding hair and his mannerisms, almost effortless. While intimidating, the man epitomizes everything an actor should be; intelligent, witty and constructive.

After an hour, the lights in the theater flick back on and the professor walks up a few steps towards the stage and stands in the middle of it.

"Those of you who didn't have a chance to go today, please be ready for next class. I will e-mail you all the assignment for this week but please work on evoking emotion in your performances as well as enunciating the words."

As students start to shuffle around, trying to gather their belongings, the professor calls out Beck's name. "I would like a word" he says before walking off the stage.

Beck's heart stops and he slowly picks up his bag and walks towards the front of the room. He notices a few of his classmates shooting curious glances in his direction and he knows nothing good will come from this conversation.

The professor takes a seat on one of the chairs in the front row, his right ankle resting on top of his left knee. Beck stands facing him, awaiting for today's lecture.

"I assume I don't need to tell you what this is about. If this happens again I will be forced to take drastic measures" the professor says.

Beck nods his head, "It won't happen again Mr. Clayton."

"Good, I would hate to see such a talented actor leave the program."

Beck's face falls and he notices how serious Mr. Clayton is. "I'll be here on time" he assures his professor before being dismissed. As he walks out of the theater, he replays the words in his head. Kicked out of the program. He can't let that happen. After all the work he did to perfect his audition piece and then actually being admitted into such a prestigious school...no. There is no way he's going to fail out just because he's not adjusting to life in New York.

He shakes his head from side to side, annoyed at himself. As he exits the building, the a frigid gust of wind reminds him of the winter weather and his annoyance increases.

He pulls out his cell phone from his coat pocket and sees that it's already past two thirty. He unlocks the device to check his text messages. He sees a message from his mother, asking if he's still going home for Christmas. Another message from his acting partner, Darryl who wants to schedule a time to meet and work on an assignment. Then he sees a few messages from Tori.

"I miss you already."

"I'll be out of class by five if you want to stop by."

"Hope you make it on time, sorry for snoozing the alarm!"

He smiles at the last message. He probably would have made it to class if she had let the alarm ring, but he can't be mad at her. After a wild party the night before at Columbia University which ended by dawn, he probably would have ignored the alarm anyway.

Even while at the party, he knew it was a bad idea to stay out late. He knew it would be hard to get out of bed and make it to class on time, even though he had already been late twice before. In fact, Tori urged him a few times to head home so he could be on time the next day, but he refused because he wanted to spend time with her. Between their busy class schedules and auditions, it was difficult for them to coördinate times they could be together.

The party turned out to be a little crazier than they imagined. While most college parties peaked at cheap beer and house music, this one happened to be thrown at the ritzy apartment of a well-to-do law student whose parents had managed to piss him off. So what does a rich kid do when he's mad at his parents? Throw a killer party with expensive booze, that's what.

As they downed cup after cup of Moet, Tori and Beck spent the night (and morning) meeting some drama students from Columbia and dancing to the several mixes the DJ put on. At one point Beck was dragged into playing beer pong and then "Kings." Needless to say, by the time they got to Beck's dorm at five thirty, they were beyond drunk.

Beck walks a block down and stands on the corner, attempting to hail a cab that will take him downtown to Tori's dorm. It takes a few minutes, but finally a yellow cab stops in front of him. Beck opens the door and is instantly met with warm air coming from the car's heater. Thankful for the warmth, he closes the door. "Eleventh and third" he tells the cab driver who simply nods his head and pulls off.

Making his way down towards Union Square, Beck glances between his phone screen and the meter. He watches as it goes from six dollars to twelve and just twenty minutes later it stops at fifteen-eighty. He pulls out a crisp twenty-dollar bill from his wallet and hands it to the driver. Once he gets the change, he pushes open the door and walks the few steps into Third North, Tori's residence hall. He smiles when he sees her inside, waiting for him. Her gray and pink NYU sweatpants and while sweater keeping her warm and her long brown hair is up in a bun. She has her reading glasses on and her phone on one hand.

He pulls the door to the building open and she instantly goes to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

"I missed you" she whispers once they pull away.

"I missed you too babe" he replies and follows after her towards the security desk. There, she scans her ID and signs him in. They walk the long hallway towards the elevator of the North tower. She presses four and they wait silently for the doors to open again.

Once they do, they walk out towards her dorm. In the common area, Beck sees a one of Tori's suite mates watching television and he waves towards them.

"Hey Beck, are you staying for the game later?" asks Patrick, one of the girl's boyfriend.

"I might be" Beck answers as he removes his jacket and tosses it on an empty chair. For a few minutes after that, both guys engage in a conversation about sports highlights.

Tori and Patrick's girlfriend, Lisa shake their head, obviously bored by the sports talk.

"Okay, enough of that," Tori says taking Beck hand. "If you don't mind I'd like to spend some time with my boyfriend." Beck smiles and squeezes her hand while Patrick rolls his eyes playfully.

"Chicks man" he says which earns him a light punch from Lisa.

"I meant that in a good way honey" he quickly adds. Beck laughs before being pulled away by Tori.

They walk into the room she shares with Lisa and as he closes the door behind him, she pulls him towards her and kisses him once again. He smiles against her lips and returns the motion, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer. Her arms snake around his neck and he feels her need to get closer to him. He slowly leads her towards her bed.

She sits at the edge of the bed, her head tilted upwards to meet his halfway. Beck gently pushes her and lies on top of her, shifting his weight so she's comfortable. For a few more minutes, their kiss deepens and becomes more intense. He feels her squirming under him and her arms move from his neck down to his chest, her fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. Slowly, she begins bringing his shirt up and he breaks the kiss.

"Tor, stop baby" he tells her.

"Why?" Tori asks, obviously confused.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to do this" he replies, internally regretting stopping her. Though they have been together for nearly six months, they have yet to sleep together. Several times, like now, they have gotten close. After every time however, she informs him how thankful she is that he stopped her before things got out of hand simply because she's not ready to lose her virginity yet.

Though he won't admit it to her, part of him is sexually frustrated. After being in a relationship with Jade, who had an insatiable sexual appetite, it has been an adjustment. However, as hard as it's been, he would never rush her. In fact, he always makes sure to stop things before he reaches the point of no return, simply because he doesn't want to push her.

"I know you want to so just let me give you this" she tells him as she sits up a bit on the bed, making him sit back.

He smiles at her and reaches to touch her hand. "I do want you, but I can wait until you are ready. It's your first time and I want it to be special Tor. I don't want you to look back at it a few years from now and regret it."

"I wouldn't regret it because it's with you" she retorts.

"I know, but I want it to be perfect. You deserve that" he says and leans forward to kiss her forehead. Tori sighs and nods her head slowly.

"Okay" she starts, "I have to respect that don't I?"

Beck laughs and sits back once more. "You do" he answers and moves to sit next to her. Tori smiles and moves closer to him. Beck shifts his body to lay down and brings her down to him, her head now resting on his chest. She closes her eyes and revels in the soothing up-and-down motion of his body as he breathes in and out. For a moment, they are both silent, just enjoying the moment.

Tori lifts her head to look at him and smiles when she sees his eyes are also close.

"Beck?" she calls out softly to see if he's still awake.

"Hm?" he replies simply without opening his eyes.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Of course baby" he says.

Tori takes a deep breath and moves her body up so her face is leveled with his. "I love you" she whispers and smiles when his eyes open instantly. "I've never told you that before" she adds.

Beck laughs. "No, you haven't" he says. He brings his head up to meets hers and kisses her once again.

"I love you too Tor" he says when they finally pull apart. Once more, Tori takes a deep breath. She slides down a bit and rests her head back on his chest. Beck brings his hand up to her head and starts caressing her hair. As their bodies rhythmically move together, he realizes that he will eventually get adjusted to life in New York, simply because he has Tori there with him.


End file.
